What is Gelato?

Gelato is Italian for “ice cream.”

 Is there a difference between gelato and the ice cream that we are familiar with?

 There are 3 main differences between gelato and ice cream.  The first is air content.  Ice cream is typically made on a higher speed whipping or churning machine, and during this process, a lot of air is whipped into the ice cream.  In the ice cream industry, the term “overrun” means “air.”  A typical serving of ice cream can have anywhere from 60% to 120% overrun.  In other words, overrun of 100% is equal to 50% air in the ice cream.  The overrun is one reason why ice cream must be kept frozen at below 0 (so it does not collapse in on itself), and why gelato is kept slightly above 0.  True gelato is made by using a slow-stirring motion, and consequently, has no more than 20% overrun.  Compare weight versus volume to see what this means.  The lower overrun leads directly to the second major difference:  texture and taste.  Because gelato contains much less air than ice cream, its texture is denser and creamier.  Smaller portions of gelato are at least as satisfying as larger portions of ice cream.  Also, the tastes in gelato are more intense, more real, truer to the original chocolate, or vanilla, or strawberry, or whatever flavor of gelato you are having.  The third major difference is butterfat content.  In order to be labeled “ice cream” in the U.S., the product must contain a minimum of 10% butterfat.  Most gelato flavors contain less than 10% butterfat (4%-8%, usually). 

What is the origin of gelato?

 There are several versions of the origin of gelato.  The most commonly related version tells of Marco Polo bringing a delicious recipe from his travels to China, where the emperor’s family was given treats combining snow, honey, rice, and sweet flowers.  The Italians experimented with this idea.  In northern Italy, the Dolomite people made gelato with milk, cream, sugar eggs and natural flavors.  They stored snow in basements, and the Dolomites sold their concoctions to travelers in the summer.  In the south, the Sicilians made a gelato that was primarily water-based, lower in fat, slightly higher in sugar, and often made with fruit.  This was sorbetto (commonly known as sorbet).  Regardless of the version of the origin, true gelato and sorbetto are made with real fruit, nuts, chocolate, vanilla beans – true ingredients.  Gelato and sorbetto are not true to their roots if they are made with artificially flavored bases or powders.

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Features True Artisan Gelato & Sorbetto

Flavors of the Day

FLAVOR	DESCRIPTION
Pumpkin Gelato	Pumpkin blended with ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and fresh cream
Autumn Spice Crunch Gelato	Ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon steeped with fresh cream and folded with windmill cookies
Tahitian Vanilla Gelato	Pure Tahitian vanilla blended with vanilla bean specks and fresh cream.
Swiss Chocolate Gelato	French extra brut chocolate blended with swiss double cream couverture chocolate
Banana Fudge Praline Gelato	Fresh ripe bananas steeped with fresh cream.  Fudge chunks and pralines abound.
Toasted Coconut Gelato	Imported pure Asian coconut cream and toasted coconut macaroon steeped in fresh cream.
Mackinac Island Fudge Gelato	Vanilla gelato with fudge chunks and a caramel swirl.
Italian Pistachio	Imported italian pistachio base with pistachio pieces.
Pomegranate Sorbetto	Pomegranate pureed and blended.